


Two Coins

by guiltyreasons



Category: Alexander (2004)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-21
Updated: 2009-12-21
Packaged: 2017-10-04 22:00:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/34552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/guiltyreasons/pseuds/guiltyreasons
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alexander tells Hephaistion about his conversation with his mother due to their relationship. She was less than pleased and he's a little too amused.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Two Coins

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sierra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sierra/gifts).



> Thanks so much to be my beta wrabbit. Without their help this wouldn't have been half as good. Wrabbit did her best, so obviously all mistakes are mine.

"She'll tell your mother," Hephaistion said sitting up, his hair still a mess from their recent love making. Alexander leaned back into him, letting Hephaistion's hands wrap around his waist.

"My mother knows. She's been told before," Alexander said with a sigh.

Alexander rested back onto his pillows, his head barely having lifted when the door opened and his servant had come in. He was too comfortable wrapped up in the worth of expensive blankets and a bed fit for a king.

Hephaistion laid back down as well, but seemed uneasy. He wrapped his arms around Alexander's waist and held him close.

"If you say so," his lover whispered into his ear. Alexander didn't answer, only closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment. It was rare he felt someone holding him like this.

Hephaistion was the only one he would let hold him from behind. Even after sex he kept his eyes on his partners. He never relaxed around anyone else. He trusted that Hephaistion would watch over his shoulder and keep him safe. He's never felt that before from someone without knowing they expect something in return. His mother wanted to use him to gain control that her sex did not allow. His father wanted an heir he can twist to his own will. Hephaistion demanded nothing from him, but trust.

"Perhaps she's been told to many times," Hephaistion said stroking the younger man's hair softly. He leaned his head down and smelt Alexander's hair. Alexander found himself smiling at the sign of affection, the type that normally diminish after being together so long. He was Hephaistion's obsession, as he was his mother's, but the way Hephaistion worshipped him pleases the prince the most.

"She knows, she spoke to me today," Alexander admitted.

"Oh?" Hephaistion said with a knowing tone, "What did she say?"

Alexander knows the question is not meant for a short answer, so settles in on his back to speak. Hephaistion leans back upon his pillows and watching him, reading his face as a book, but Alexander is not intimidated. He has nothing to hide from his closest companion. His soul is as bare before him as his body is.

As he retold the story Alexander finds he's fading back. He could almost remember the sound that interrupted his reading.

The knock is sharp and full of purpose. He'd know Lanice's knock anywhere. He raised his head from his studies and smiled. He was excited to see his maid, a woman closer to him than his mother had ever been.

"Come in," he called and she opened the door, walking in with a smile on her face, but there is a tension in her skin that makes Alexander wary.

"Alexander, your mother beckons your company," she said in a way that made Alexander's skin turn to goose bumps. His mother called for him often, but something in Lanice's voice told him this was no social call.

"What's going on?" he asked rolling up the scroll he'd been reading to finish later. He stood up on steady feet feeling unease rest into his stomach. His mother was a controlling woman and as fierce as a cobra.

"It's not my place," Lanice groaned then after glancing back at Alexander's pleading look relents, "It's about your relationship with Hephaistion."

"Which is none of her business," Alexander snapped already in a foul mood at the mere mention. His mother had been watching him so closely lately. What with the marriage of his father coming up and the child the new wife was bound to bare. It caused him many worries, but he was trying to forget right now optional comma right here wrapped in the warmth of his lover's embrace

"She's your mother and you know how she is," Lanice said and went over to him. She shifted his toga to the right and then ran her hand down the front, straightening it, "Don't give into her this time. He's good to you. I've never seen you so happy with anyone before."

"Thank you," he said taking her hand and kissing it. He'd told Lanice about his feelings long before his mother even had a suspicion. She had given her support considering the partner choice and he'd felt even more secure in his relationship with Hephaistion, his mother would be the true hurdle. "I'll go to her before she becomes impatient."

"Quite wise," Lanice said and he left briskly.

Alexander had worried this moment would come for some time. He'd felt the eyes upon him and he'd acted for them; holding Hephaistion's hand at festivals, leaning when whispered into his ear in public, making love where they might get caught or seen. He wanted his mother to know she was no longer first in his heart or in his life. His dependence on her was slowly fading.

He reached his mother's door and straightened his back. He walked in and found her sitting with one of her many snakes crawling down her arm. She turned to him and smiled, her hair pulled back beautifully and her eyes painted in her unique style. She was putting on airs which meant  she wanted to seem impressive, wise and elegant. When he was younger it might have worked, he used to worship her, but now he was growing older and knew better.

"My queen," he said going over and she stood up.  They embraced silently and Alexander felt no warmth in it. He pulled back and forced a smile upon his lips. "What do you need of me?"

"We must talk, my son," she said sitting down on her bed, letting the snake slide down her back. Alexander sat beside her with no worry for the animal. He'd grown up in a bed of snakes.

"What about?" Alexander asked pleading ignorance.

"The girls, they say you don't like them. That you'd rather spend your time with Hephaistion and ignore their wiles," Olympias said  stroking a hair behind Alexander's ear. "Now, it's fine to spend some of your time with other men, it's natural for boys your age, but remember who you are."

"Who am  I?" Alexander demanded, his tone colder by the accusation in her voice.

"Our crown prince, one day to be king and my son. Those that get close to you want that power," she explained and he clenched his fist. Hephaistion had no lust for power in his eyes. He had no hatred in his heart, unlike the cold woman that stood before him.

"So, I am nothing to them but a tool?" Alexander asked trying to keep his cool.

"Sadly, yes, as they should be for you."

"I love him and he loves me back. It is perfectly safe yet exciting."

"So is riding fast horses, but you could fall off and kill yourself if you don't pay attention."

"He's not a stone under a horse's hoof. He's my beloved."

 "Don't get wrapped up in Aphrodite's petty games," she told him and he stood up. He walked to the other side of the room. His temper had failed, but he wasn't about to let into it and give her the pleasure of seeing him upset. He went back and stood in front of her when he was once again calm.

"Petty? Because your games are grand yes? Your games could change the world, but something that makes me happy would ruin me?" he demanded sounding more and more like a child even to himself.

"You will be king. We can't afford to let your judgment be clouded," she warned him in that tone that reminded him of the oracles, and it annoyed him.

"Maybe I won't be king," Alexander said knowing those were truly threatening words to his mother, "Maybe his new wife will sire him a son of proper Macedonian blood and he'll put him before me."

His mother stood up and slapped him, her nailed trimmed into claws leaving marks across his cheek. He left his head turned and forced the anger to boil down. He felt a trickle of blood flow down his cheek and found it ironic that it mimicked a tear. His manhood, and his fathers' teachings, made him want to hit her back. It was intolerable that a woman to hit a man, let along a prince.

His round of anger he could not control. He lunged forward and pinned her to the wall. She didn't struggle, her eyes meeting his in defiance that made his blood boil.

"I am not your child anymore," Alexander reminded her.

"But I am still your mother," she snapped and than glared at him, "I carried you, I suckled you, I raised you and I taught you better than this. Are you truly only your father's son?"

Alexander caught a flash of a childhood memory. He'd almost seen his father's cruelty up close and being compared to that monster made his hands release. He stepped back and was forced to witness the triumphant on his mother's face.

"You will be king, Alexander. I'll see to it, as long as you keep your head facing towards our goals. I can give you everything," she said cupping both his cheeks in her hands, "But forget this boy. He means nothing."

"You're wrong. Hephaistion means everything," he said taking  her hands and pulling them away from his face. He turned form her, trying to find words she'd understand. "He's my Patroclus."

"And you remember what Achilles gained for his Patroclus? He died. His lover was his truest weakness. If you let this boy tangle his life with yours, he'll poison you. You'll weaken and fade. You don't need him," she said her eyes on the brink of tears.

"And what would Achilles have been without Patroclus. A heartless killing brute with no connections to the real world. Hephaistion grounds me, reminds me I'm but a man."

"Limits you and discourages your grandeur."

"He loves me, for me," Alexander proclaimed and the reply hurt more then the slap. His mother laughed, an angry, ugly sound.

"Love? What do you know of love?" she laughed at him before sitting down and shaking her head, "I, I am the only one who loves you. Remember that."

Alexander shook his head and sat beside her again. He put his hand on hers and held them tightly.

"I will not give him up. No matter how much you proclaim and fight and hate him. I will keep him close and you will see. He will not betray me. I trust him, can't that be enough for you?" Alexander half begged his mother and she turned to him again. The tears were flowing down her eyes now, but she nodded.

"This will not end well for either of you," she warned, but he ignored it. Nothing that felt this good, this pure could end badly. He won't believe that they won't grow old together. He'd do whatever it took to make his kingdom great, but it would all happen with Hephaistion constantly by his side. He'd found the other half of his soul and he won't let anything separate them.

"But it will all turn out well," he promised her and kissed her lips gently.

He brought his arms around her body and held her close. She felt so small in his arms. Once upon a time she had been his whole world. His arms seemed barely big enough to hold her, but as he'd grown her legend had shrunk. She was still the most powerful figure in his life, but he saw her jealousy, her greed, her mortal flaws. It was the doom of all children to see their parents downfalls and have to erase the great tales of their childhood.

Alexander stared at his lover who was laughing hysterically. He couldn't for a second comprehend what was so funny.

"Do you mind?" Alexander demanded feeling huffy. He'd just opened up about a rather sore subject and Hephaistion was laughing. He turned away from his lover, crossing his arms.

"It's nothing," Hephaistion said hugging him from behind and putting his chin on his shoulder, "It's simply that your mother is so over dramatic. I am your poison? Truly. I wish you no harm, Alexander. If you can trust that then so should she. Believe me, it took a while for you to come to that point."

"You should not speak so of her. She's my mother and you're queen," Alexander snapped naturally defensive of his mother.

"I'm sorry," Hephaistion said backing away slightly. Alexander shook his head and reached out his hand. He gently touched the other's shoulder and calmed himself.

"It's fine. Sometimes it is hard to see where the lines between us blur and we both forget our places," Alexander explained regretting his sharp response. Hephaistion could speak of his mother as he wished. He was right most of the time after all.

She'd called him poison. Poison, his darling Hephaistion? You might as well compare the edge of a blade to a flower petal. They were nothing alike. His Hephaistion brought healing into his life, not evil or death. His mother was a touch over dramatic.

There was a moment of silence between them, before Hephaistion seemed completely over the comment.

"Well," Hephaistion said leaning over and touching the cut on his cheek and making it sting for a moment, "I am glad to find out how you got this."

"Oh, what did you assume?" Alexander asked with a raised brow.

"That another lover got too with you," Hephaistion said kissing the healing wound.

"Jealous?" Alexander asked thoughtfully. He won't be surprised if he was. His mother had been insanely jealous when she'd realized his relationship with Lanice. She'd tossed a fit and threatened death upon the woman. Alexander had calmed her enough to let Lanice keep her head, but she'd still been upset for months afterwards.

"No, not at all. You're soldiers love you, your generals, your servants, your slaves even. They all love you Alexander. I know that. I know your body is not mine alone and I don't mind. For our connection is deeper then the flesh," Hephaistion said, putting his hand on Alexander's chest. "Deeper then most would understand. I have nothing to be jealous of."

"No, no you don't," Alexander said, turning and capturing his lover's lips in his own.

He kissed him deeply and passionately. It was a 'thank you' for understanding him. He was not on edge here. His mother's room felt like a trap where having Hephaistion in his room felt like a release.

He pushed back Hepahistion to his back before breaking the kiss. He let his eyes linger over the other's face, barely visible in the dying candle light. He was so handsome, so strong. He ran his hand through his long hair and than pushed it back behind his ear. Those eyes burned into him and eased his worried mind. All of the tension his mother had struck in him was soothed away, like a warm bath after a battle. His mother could never understand the love between two men. She was only a woman. How could she know?

"I love you, Alexander," he said in a soft whisper and Alexander smiled.

"And I you, Hephaistion. I will love you until…until…forever," Alexander said not wanting to think of his mother's comments. Their love would not cause them to fade. They would glow brighter, be stronger for their union.

"We should do something that will be remembered forever. A declaration of our love that no one will forget," Hephaistion suggested and Alexander chuckled.

"Perhaps one day, but for now. We must sleep," Alexander said laying his head down.

"Yes," Hephaistion said blowing out the candle beside the bed and grabbing the other to leave with.

"Stay," Alexander said grabbing his wrist. Hephaistion blew out the other candle and put it down on the table gracefully even in the dark.

"I was hoping you'd say that," Hephaistion said lying beside him and leaving no distance between them.

Alexander wrapped his arms around Hephaistion's torso torso and put his head to his chest. He could hear the sound of the other's heartbeat dancing, and closed his eyes. Hephaistion stroked his hair, as his mother had once done, and whispered to him parts of the Iliad that he had memorized just for him. Hephaistion knew that sometimes in the night Alexander's thoughts raced like mad and it was only a calm tone that would help his mind loosen to sleep. He felt himself drifting towards sleep, but he kept thinking, 'She'll see. She was wrong. She'll see'. 


End file.
